Since the Knicks hired Tom Thibodeau as their new head coach in July, their defense has been thought to be upgraded.
But there was no guarantee that a tangible change – and the gains that followed – would come so quickly.
The Knicks left New York on December 27 fresh from their first win of the season, a surprising defeat for the Bucks. They returned on Tuesday as winners of four of the last five who entered the clash against Jazz in the garden on Wednesday night, with a lot of strong efforts that fueled their growth, but the head of defense between them.
“I think the union is a big part of it. I think the desire to share the ball, to play hard for each other, “Thibodeau said after Monday’s 113-108 victory over the Hawks.”[But] it begins with our defense and return. We still have to reduce the turnover, but I think that’s the general way they play for each other. I think that’s a big part of the gain. Come in and work every day. “
Last year, under the leadership of David Fizdale and then interim coach Mike Miller, the Knicks earned the NBA defensive rating 23rd (112.4). Through seven games this season under Thibodeau, they had the ninth best defensive rating in the NBA (106.1).
In the last five games, they have kept their opponents well below their average score, albeit in a small sample. They kept the Bucks, who averaged 127 points otherwise, at 110. They went on to keep the Cavaliers (107.5) at 86, the Raptors (107.2) at 100, the Pacers (117) at 102. and Hawks (120) at 108.
“The great thing is that if you defend and come back and take care of the ball, you will be in a position to win,” Thibodeau said.
Of course, it wasn’t just the defense that made the Knicks win three of four on their trip. There have been key performances from both the newcomers and the remnants, since the Knicks started best with seven games in the 2012-13 season:
“Chills”: The backyard combo of Immanuel Quickley and Austin Rivers is still very new, but it was impressive enough to already get a nickname through social media. Both were on the floor for a crisis Monday against the Hawks – Rivers for the end of 17:06 and Quickley for 15:09 from the end of 15:51 – to help turn a 15-point deficit into a five-point victory.
Rivers played a strong defense on Trae Young and emptied a pointer with 3 keys late, after a sharp pass from Quickley, who scored 16 points.
“We play each other offensively, defensively and he’s very good,” Quickley said. “So it’s easy to play with him on both sides of the floor.”
King Julius: Julius Randle had another monster game on Monday, accumulating 28 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists. His struggles last season have been well documented, but he has improved a lot earlier this year, while putting in hard minutes.
“I think the boys believe in the coach and they believe in his message and they play for each other, they play hard, they play together,” Randle said.
resilience: The Knicks spent a lot of time in the lead during their four wins, but pulled out of a 15-point deficit in the third quarter of Monday to end the trip on a high note.
“It starts with Thibs and then goes all the way,” RJ Barrett said. “Everyone who comes into the game plays hard, plays with an advantage.”
Pulling hiccups: The anomaly during the five-game stretch? The Knicks shoot 3-for-36s from deep against the Raptors. In the other four games, they combined to shoot 49-for-100. This includes only one game from Alec Burks, who was expected to be one of the most important players.